Postdoc fellowship in colonial history

Linnaeus University, Växjö Sweden.

The postdoctoral position will be placed at the Department of Cultural studies that hosts archaeology, library- and information studies, philosophy, geography, cultural geography, history, cultural sociology, and religious studies. The work is closely connected to the Linnaeus University Centre for Concurrences in Colonial and Postcolonial Studies.

Reference number: 2017/5167-2.2.1.Linnaeus University Centre: Concurrences in Colonial and Postcolonial Studies, established in 2012, is a leading interdisciplinary research environment at the Linnaeus University (LNU), Sweden. It hosts scholars in history, literature, sociology, film studies, and anthropology whose research enquires into present and past cultural and political encounters—'simultaneities'—of claims to reality, experience and meaning, in the Nordic countries, Asia, Africa and the Americans.

The postdoctoral position will be placed at the Department of Cultural studies that hosts archaeology, library- and information studies, philosophy, geography, cultural geography, history, cultural sociology, and religious studies. The work is closely connected to the Linnaeus University Centre for Concurrences in Colonial and Postcolonial Studies.

Field of subject for the position: History

Placement: Växjö

Extent and period: Full-time for one year

Last day of application: 15 October 2017

Context of position:

The project 'Huseby in the world' ('Huseby i världen') engages with the unique collection of historical documents, the Joseph Stephens Archive, that encompasses the material of a European subcontractor in railway constructions in 1860s western India. These were the post-revolt years, including the cotton boom followed by the collapse of the Bombay stock market. It was simultaneously years infrastructure development, and for luck-seekers and entrepreneurs. The recently discovered collection is unusually detailed and comprehensive, and opens a window to the lower ranks of life and work of the region, the workforce, the engineers, the railway company, and the social life of the unruly 1860s in colonial west India.Simultaneously, it places southern Scandinavia and the south-Sweden Småland County in a British imperial context which challenges current historiography of Swedish 19th century history. 'Huseby in the world' is a collaboration between LNU and the Huseby Estate (Huseby Bruk AB), which is the iron mill and agrarian estate into which Joseph Stephens invested his earnings from India, today a cultural centre. In addition to historical research, disseminated in academic publications, the project aims at making academic historical research available in pedagogical programmes for the public at the Huseby Estate. The postdoc position is open to scholars with a PhD in history from 2012 or more recent. The postdoc shall conduct research in the Joseph Stephens archives and other archives that are relevant to the topic. The specific research theme is the formation of practical and theoretical knowledge, the organisation of labour, and the social networks that facilitated the work of a railway contractor. The postdoc fellow will work in a team, including researchers at LNU and pedagogical staff at the Huseby Estate. The postdoc applicant is expected to contribute to the development of the Centre through research and publications, participate in seminars and other activities at the Centre, and collaborate with other scholars and graduate students within the Centre.

Qualification requirements:

Qualified for appointment is anyone who holds a PhD, or a degree that is the equivalent to a PhD, and who has completed their degree no more than five years (since 2012) before the application deadline. Applicants must not have previously been employed as a postdoctoral fellow for more than a year in the same or related subject area at the Linnaeus University. Documented skills of the ability of working in historical archives, and good knowledge of English are required for the position.

Assessment criteria:

Primary emphasis is placed on the quality of the applicant's research publications, and PhD thesis. It is deemed meritorious to have developed research projects specifically in the area of Indian modern history and British imperial history. Documented skills in cooperation and teamwork will be valued in the selection process. The overall assessment of skills takes account of the applicant's potential for a successful career as a teacher and researcher.